The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-08-03
majority of twenty votes in the Assembly
branch of the Legislature"

majority of twenty votes in the Assembly
branch of the Legislature"
The utterances, and similar ones, led 10
an investigation of the methods by which
that majority had been secured; and dur
ing that investigation, one ofthe lobbyists
testified that they had expended about
100000 to influence legislation. Think
of it ye friends of honest government!
But let us hear from another witness
in that trial-an old and experienced
lobbyist. He says: "After the election,
(for delegates) and before the Legislature
convened, our correspondents throughout
the State gave us special and truthful
descriptions of every one of the opposi-
tion members, their mode of life, their
habits, their eccentricities and their reli
gious views, SO that we might understand
our subjects in advance"
"If the stiff:necked legislator could not
be induced to vote directly againt tenn
perance measures, or persuaded to
"dodge," he must be convinced that he
was sick, threatened with hiptheria, or
something else, and unable to leave his
room. A sworn affidavit of the doctor to
this effect costs anywhere from S25 to
$780,"
The same witness testified that the
whiskey lobby had paid mortgage on
the house of State Senator, and that he
never forgot the favor, and never after.
wards voted against their measures.
This, fellow citizens, were some of the
ways in which they used their 100000
to get a majority of twenty votes in the
lower House of the New York Legisla-
ture.
Have we already come to this? Are
we tolerating, are we legaliziDg, are we
supporting by our suffrages, combina-
ton of men who make no secret of the
fact that shey have millions of dollars in
their treasury which they are using to
buy voters, jurors and Legislators Yes,
it is even so, and no American in whose
bosom virtue and patriotism still have a
lodgment can contemplate the fact with
out the deepest emotions of humiliation
and shame.
The men who are engaged in this busi-
ness in the South are but little better, as
a rule, than those engaged in the same
pursuit at the North. I admit that we
have men among us in the liquor traffic
who are too honorable to engage in bribe-
ry, and who are conforming in every res.
pect to the requirements Of the laws of the
State. Such men I respect, though am
deeply conscious of the injury and woe
which they are inAicting upon society.
But, I risk nothing in saying, that a large
majority of the men engaged in the liquor
traffic in the South, are sbamefuly and
notoriously corrupt in character and
practice; and there is not an intelligent
Southern voter who does not know this
indictment to be true.
The majority of them are foreigners,
who represent the most revolutionary,
lawless and goddess element of Europe.
There are comparatively but few Anaeri-
cans who are low enough to keep dog.
gerry.
In our great local option contest in
Atlanta there was scarcely colored voter
or poor white voter who was not offered
bribe. I have publicly said again and
again that not one colored man in Fulton
county voted the "wet" ticket who was
not paid for his vote. I have again and
again challenged the Anti.P Prohibitionists
to find one and bring him to me, but no
man has accepted my challenge.
Where did the money come from that
was paid for the votes Of these menY It
came mainly from the saloon and dog
gerry keepers Of Atlanta. It came from
the same men who since the adoption of
prohibition have gone into what is known
as the "wine room" business, and who,
under the name of domestic wines,"
have been selling the most villainous
whiskey that ever went into human
stomach. A Georgia legislator took one
drink of it and for thirty six hours after.
wards thought he would never see his
wife and children again. I am happy to
inform you that what the courts have
left of this dirty business has just been
stamped out of existence by an act of
our Legislature.
This will give us the cleanest, happiest,
loyeliest city on which the God Of holi.
ness looks down from heaven.
Is lit not the desire of every virtuous
Georgian that all Georgia should be
clean? When you get down upon your
knees my Christian brother, and pray,
"Let thy Kingdom come, and thy will be
done," do you not mean by that, that
you desire the removal of this doggery
curse from the world? Do you not mean
by that to ask God to help his people to
exterminate traffic to which nine tenths
of the crime of Christendom are
traceable? Or do you mean to say "Oh,
righteous Lord, take away all other
sources of human corruption, calamity
and woe, but let the dear doggeries re-
main p
Do you want Georgia to be German
lied? A German member of our Legis.
lature, the other day, had the audacity
to stand up in that body of men, repre-
senting the Christian civilization of this
State, and commend to our people Ger.
man customs and German ideas of relig'
ion and liberty. If I had been mem
Der of that body l would have said to
him: "Sir, this is America, and by
Gods blessing we intend that it shall
cnntinue tn be America. IF you want